International conference on Vietnamese tourism to take place in Hanoi

The conference will be organised at BUV

The conference was organised with the aim of creating an inclusive environment where Vietnamese and non-Vietnamese researchers, practitioners, and students can discuss practices, opportunities, and challenges in relation to Vietnamese travel and tourism; of providing a networking platform to support collaboration amongst researchers with mutual research interests; and of making academic research on tourism in Vietnam more visible within the international academic community and for practitioners.

Tourism in the ASEAN has been on the rise in the past decades, and is predicted to grow further and is a key element of the regional community’s strategic action plan for 2025 (ASEAN Secretariat, 2017; WTTC, 2016). Vietnam is a key contributor to regional tourism growth with increasing numbers of both international and domestic tourists year by year. The country received almost 15.5 million international tourist arrivals in 2018; and in the first nine months of 2019, the total number of international visitors to Vietnam was estimated at over 12.8 million, a 10.8 per cent increase over the same period in 2018.

Despite the social, cultural, and economic importance of Vietnamese tourism, this industry has received limited attention from the international academic community. At the same time, studies of Asian and Vietnamese tourism are often Western-centric and there is a need for more prominent local knowledge creation and sharing.

The international conference on Vietnamese tourism in the 21st century has a long line-up of researchers and lecturers from many countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Australia, Iran, Indonesia, and Thailand who will discuss many interesting topics. These include Carol Southall (senior lecturer in Tourism and Event Management, Staffordshire University, UK) sharing about on “Skills for a career in Tourism & Hospitality”; Prof. Le Bao Ngoc (Wakayama University, Japan) elucidating on the topic “Toolkit for responsible tourism in Vietnam "; and “Vietnam Tourism: Opportunities & Challenges” presented by Kenneth M. Atkinson, founder and senior board advisor at Grant Thornton.

Vietnamese tourism is very attractive for international tourists

Many other topics will be covered during the conference, including Tourism and Development in Southeast Asia; Events Industry in the UK; Tourism in Nepal; Perceived attractiveness of Vietnam as a culinary tourism destination; Sustainable Tourism, and more. Several discussion sessions will also be held to provide an opportunity for speakers and attendees to exchange ideas.

British University Vietnam (BUV) specifically encourages undergraduate and postgraduate students to present their research or all issues related to tourism at this conference. Two representatives of BUV students and alumni, Nguyen Bao Linh and Ly Minh Anh, will present on community-based tourism and sustainable tourism.

As an international university in Vietnam providing Tourism Management degrees awarded by the prestigious Staffordshire University of the UK, BUV is very interested in the challenges and opportunities of Vietnamese and international tourism. BUV also regularly organises educational and scientific activities to encourage the research in the school and provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to develop their future careers.

The first day (December 5, 2019) is dedicated to tourism professionals and researchers. On the second day (December 6, 2019), the conference opens to students, undergraduate students, and people who are interested in tourism in Vietnam and around the globe.